Gorn
First contact with the Gorn took place in 2267, when they attacked the Federation colony on Cestus III. The Gorn saw the strike as a pre-emptive move, since they regarded Cestus as part of their territory. Physical Characteristics Gorn are a cold-blooded, reptilian species with green, leathery skin and an average height of approximately two meters. Gorn are immensely strong; they can lift objects weighing thousands of pounds, and thrown them dozens of feet at least. Their skin and physiology are tough and very resistant to impacts; they can withstand physical insult that would kill a human almost instantly. Their skin is at best slightly more resistant to impaling injuries; Kirk was able to incapacitate a Gorn with a crude cannon that fired unsharpened diamonds. Their ears are simple holes on the sizes of their skulls; their eyes are silvery and faceted. Their mouths boast an impressive array of customized cutlery, and their hands and feet sport vicious claws. They do not seem to employ their teeth and claws in attacks in every situation; the Gorn pitted against Captain Kirk by the Metrons in 2267 had a number of opportunities to claw and bite him, and for whatever reason, chose not to do so. If the Gorn have a weakness, it is their extreme slowness. A reasonably agile human can easily evade their clumsy physical attacks. Humans may tend to underestimate Gorn because of an opinion that reptiles are somehow less evolved than mammals. This would be unwise; the Gorn are at least as intelligent as humans. Technology As of the late 23rd century, Gorn technology was quite advanced, on a similar level as the Federation. Their ships were fast, prior to the interference of the Metrons, the USS Enterprise was hard pressed to keep pace with a Gorn vessel, pushing Enterprise to her limits to gain ground. Their weapons were described as "like phasers, only worse" by a survivor of the Cestus attack. This description may also have been colored by fear, as they were later described as disruptors. The Enterprise weapons were initially ineffective against Gorn deflectors, but due to the pursuit, no information could be gathered about the effectiveness of a sustained attack. They have transporter technology and possess voice duplicator equipment at least good enough to fool a casual listener. Gorn tactical units possess powerful disruptors, capable of completely disintegrating targets at ranges of around a kilometer. Sensor technology may be less effective than that of the Federation, as they had some difficulty targeting the landing party during their ambush at Cestus III. They were able to feed back impulses from a tricorder, building up an overload sufficient to destroy the instrument. (TOS: "Arena") A Gorn served on the Elysian Council, an the alternate universe called Elysia, during the late 23rd Century. It is unknown how long his species had been trapped in that universe. (TAS: According to Harrad-Sar in 2154, the Gorn's government, which is known as the Gorn Hegemony, "brew the finest Meridor in the five systems". (ENT: "Bound") Notes *''The Gorn's costume was designed by Wah Chang who also created the M-113 creature (aka the Salt Vampire).'' *''In 2003, John Logan said in an interview with Star Trek: Communicator that Riker's bachelor party in "Star Trek: Nemesis" would feature "three Andorians, two Tellarites and a Gorn". The final version of the movie did not feature this scene however, meaning "Arena", and "The Time Trap" remain the only appearances of the Gorn to date.'' *''A Gorn is rumored to serve aboard the Enterprise NX-01 (mirror), to be featured in ENT: In a Mirror, Darkly and ENT: In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II. de:Gorn